Combined radiocabinet and desk



NOV. 14, 1933. w c Kmgg -r 1,935,570

COMBINED RADIOCABINET AND DESK Filed Feb. 20, 1931 sill.

38- INVENTOR.

33 M/ILLIHM C. KINGGETT. BY 9 Q, @42 Q Patented Nov. 14, 1933 UNITED STATES COMBINED RADIOCABINET AND DESK William C. Kinggett, Oakland, Calif., assignor, by court decree, to Hazel Kinggett Application February 20, 1931. Serial No. 517,173

2 Claims. (01. 312--'7) The invention relates to a unitary article of furniture providing radio-cabinet and desk facilities.

An object of the invention is to provide a structure of the character described wherein the radio and desk facilities thereof are arranged for selective or simultaneous use and are disposed for maximum accessibility during use thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide for independently closing certain compartments of the structure to conceal the facilities provided therein.

A further object of the invention is to bring about a new combination and correlation of parts in an article of furniture of the class described whereby marked economies in manufacture will be effected and a structure of particularly pleasing appearance is provided.

The invention possesses other objects and features of advantage, some of which, with the foregoing, will be set forth or be apparent in the following description of certain forms of the invention which are illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the front and an end of a cabinet embodying the invention, said cabinet shown, as having certain compartments opened for permitting a use of the facilities thereof.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the structure of Figure 1, portions of rear closure members of the cabinet being broken away.

Figure 3 is a vertical section at 3-3 in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an horizontal section at 4-4 in Figure 3. I

Figure 5 is a section corresponding to that of Figure 4 and showing a structural modification of the sectioned compartment thereat to provide for the installation and use of a television device in the cabinet.

As particularly illustrated in Figures 1 to 4, the features of the present invention are incorporated in the structure of a cabinet 6 wherein relatively superimposed compartments 7, 8 and 9 are defined between spaced and opposed sides 11 and 12. The upper compartment 7 is arranged for the reception of a chassis of a radio receiving set, the same being indicated as enclosed in a casing, said chasis and casing being indicated by the numeral 13. The lower compartment 9 is arranged for the mounting therein of a loudspeaker 14 for actuation from the radio apparatus in the compartment 7. Preferably, and as indicated, the sound-emitting element of the loudspeaker is arranged for registration with an opening 15 provided in a front wall 16 of the compartment 9, whereby the emitted sound may be directed forwardly of and from the cabinet.

It will now be noted that the intermediate compartment 8 is arranged to provide writing-desk facilities and that its upper and lower limits are respectively defined by fixed horizontal partitions 17 and 18 extending between the side walls 11 and 12 of the structure. The front face of the upper compartment 7 is generally coplanar with the front panel 16 of the compartment 9, and the partition 17 terminates generally at the '70 plane of said face. The partition 18 is seen to extend forwardly of said plane as a shelf and the upper and forward face portion thereof provides a writing surface 19. A drawer set 21, or the like, is mounted at the rear of the compartment 8 whereby to provide for the storage of writing material and other articles.

Means are provided for closing the compartment 8 when such is not to be used. As particularly shown, a board or panel member 22 is hinged to the outer edge of the partition 18 whereby it may be horizontally disposed to provide an extension of the writing surface 19 or placed in upright position as a front closure for the writing desk compartment. The cabinet sides 11 and 12 are extended forwardly at and above the partition 18 for receiving the member 22 between them when the latter is in its vertical position. For completing the closure of the writing desk compartment 8, a board or panel member 23 is slidably engaged in and between mutually opposed and horizontal slideways 24 provided in the walls 11 and 12 and in a plane adjacent and below the partition 1'7. When the desk compartment is arranged for use, as particularly shown, the member 23 is disposed beneath the partition 17, from which position it may be slidably moved forwardly for registration with the member 22 when the latter is vertically disposed. In this manner ready access to the writing surface 19 and the drawer set 21 may be provided, or the compartment may be completely closed at the front thereof.

Since a person using the desk portion of the cabinet would exert more or less pressure at the forwardly extending writing surface thereof, means are preferably provided whereby to prevent a forward tilting of the cabinet during the use of the desk facilities. As particularly shown, forward extensions 25 are provided at the ends of the cabinet bottom portion whereby to extend the cabinet base forwardly and at the same time provide the necessary leg and foot room beneath the extended portion of the writing shelf 18; said cabinet base may, if desired be provided with casters 26 to facilitate movement of the cabinet from place to place. Posts 27 are preferably engaged between the extending shelf 18 and the extensions 25; in this manner said shelf is arranged to be rigidly supported in the cabinet assembly.

Referring now to the structure at the front of the upper compartment 7 of the cabinet, it is noted that said structure includes a front wall 28 and a vertical partition 29 adjacent said wall. The partition 29 is arranged to comprise the front panel for the radio chassis 13, and to have various control elements for the radio apparatus extend therethrough for manual manipulation at the outer face of the panel; said elements are indicated at 31 in Figures 1 and 4. As particularly shown, the radio control elements 31 are disposed generally centrally of the partition 29, and the front wall 28 is provided with an opening 32 opposite said elements through which access to the elements may be had. Sliding doors 33 are mounted behind the end portions of the wall 28 for movement into position for closing the opening 32 when such is desired; in this manner the radio control elements 31 are arranged for complete enclosure and concealment when access thereto is not desired. The cabinet top element 30 is preferably hinged to the cabinet casing at its back edge for providing access to the compartment 7 from above.

Preferably, and as particularly indicated in Figure 3, a control switch 23 of the radio circuit (not shown) is mounted in a generally concealed position beneath the shelf 18. This switch is arranged.for use in conjunction with the other radio switches whereby, with the latter switches (not shown) closed and the radio set tuned in for a particular station, the radio apparatus may be set in operation without necessity for opening the doors 33. The necessary ground and aerial and power connections are arranged to be made at suitable plug-in sockets 35 (Figure 2) provided at the back of the cabinet. The necessary wiring connections between the various parts of the radio apparatus in the mutually separated compartments '7 and 9 are arranged to be made through corners of the said compartments and may extend through longitudinal ducts provided in fillet members 36 which are provided along the rear vertical corners of the various compartments. A wiring diagram for the indicated radio installation in the cabinet is not disclosed since such, per se, is not a matter of present invention.

It will now be noted that removable and independent closure members are provided at the back of the various compartments of the cabinet,

said members arranged to be releasably secured to underlying and opposed elements of the cabinet structure by means of screws 37, or the like. For closing the rear of the upper compartment '7, a member 38 is provided, said member comprising an open frame having a facing 38 of screening; in this manner the compartment 7 is arranged to be ventilated as is desirable with present radio apparatus. The closure member 41 for the rear of the compartment 8 is imperforate, andits removal is arranged to permit the removal of the drawer set 21 from the rear of the desk compartment 8. The rear closure for the compartment 9 comprises an open frame 42 carrying a suitably sound-absorbing medium 43 at its inner side and across the frame openings for closing the latter. The element 43 may conveniently comprise cloth fabric loosely mounted on the frame 42. By use of the element 43 in the compartment 9, resonance effects in and from the compartment 9, due to the operation of the loudspeaker 14 therein, are avoided.

Referring now to the showing of Figure 5, an arrangement is shown for a compartment 57 of a cabinet 56, said compartment corresponding to the compartment '7 of the previously described cabinet 6. In the present instance, a vertical partition 59 of the compartment is perforated mediately of its ends to provide for the engagement therein of a screen 61 of television apparatus indicated generally by the numeral 62. The associated radio apparatus would be disposed generally at opposite sides of the screen 61 with the control elements 63 thereof extending forwardly from the partition 59; said apparatus is indicated in part by the numerals 53. The front wall 58 of the compartment 5'7 is formed with sections 64 which are hinged to the sides 51 and 52 of the cabinet 56 for swinging as doors to provide access to the controls 63 and expose the screen 61. In the-present embodiment, the doors 64 are each narrower than half the space to be closed at the front of the compartment 57, and extensions 65 are slidably mounted at and on the backs of the doors for outward disposal to complete the closure at the front of the compartment. In this manner, with the doors proper in closed position generally in front of the controls 63, the extensions 65 may either be disposed in front of the screen 61 or displaced to solely disclose said screen. Except for the specific features now disclosed, this embodiment is otherwise the same as thatof the cabinet 6 whereby the secret switch 34 may be used for controlling the production of a television picture on the screen 61.

It is to be noted that the present arrangement provides for particularly ready accessibility to the various facilities provided. Thus, the desk position of the cabinet may be at a proper height for use by a person seated on a chair or bench, and the radio controls are within reach of the said seated person. Furthermore, the described facilities are arranged for selective or simultaneous use, and the facility not in use may be readily concealed.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, the advantages of the construtcion and method of operation will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which the invention appertains, and while I have described the principle of operation, together with the device which I now consider to be the best embodiment thereof, I desire to have it understood that the device shown is merely illustrative, and that such changes may be made, when desired, as fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States the following:

1. A furniture unit comprising a unitary casing completely and horizontally partitioned to provide three independent and mutually superimposed compartments, the upper said compartl ment arranged to receive radio-receiving apparatus and provided with a front wall constituting a control panel for the apparatus, members of the casing electively disposable to expose or con- Gtal said control panel, the intermediate comthree independent and mutually superimposed compartments, the upper said compartment adapted to receive radio-receiving apparatus and provided with a front wall constituting a control panel for the apparatus and a removable rear wall comprising a grille whereby to ventilate said compartment, andthe lower said compartment adapted to contain a loudspeaker for operation by and from said apparatus and having a sounddischarge opening in the forward wall thereof for registration with said louer, the rear wall of said last compartment removable and provided with sound-absorbing means whereby to prevent resonance 'in and from the compartment. Y

WILLIAM C. KINGGE'I'I'. 

